Director of planning, sustainability works to transform Syracuse

Peter Chen / The Post-StandardAndrew Maxwell is Syracuse City's director of planning and sustainability; part of his job is to oversee the project to expand the Creek Walk. He is in the section that's around Franklin Square. Behind him are James Gage (front), of Eastwood, and his friend, Joshua Stacy, from VA., who are paddling from Nedrow to the Inner Harbor.

Editorial assistant Nariman Jiries interviewed Andrew Maxwell, who is the director of planning and sustainability for the city of Syracuse.

Name: Andrew Maxwell

Age: 28

Educational background: I graduated from Corcoran High School in 2001. I received my bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher College in 2005, and my master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2006.

Occupation: I am the city of Syracuse’s director of planning and sustainability.

Where do you live? Downtown Syracuse

How long have you worked for the city? Just over five years.

What are your main responsibilities? My main responsibilities include development of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, urban planning initiatives and sustainability programming, as well as general policy development.

What do you enjoy most about your position? I love the variety. Every day is different, and I have the opportunity to work with dedicated people from every city department. My favorite part is that I have the privilege of getting up every day and working to make the city a better place. That sounds so simple, but for someone who loves this city, I am truly lucky to be able to go to City Hall each day and work with other passionate people to make our community stronger.

What job did you have previous to this one? My prior role for the city was as a senior neighborhood planner in the Community Development Department. I worked on the city’s Comprehensive Plan, the city’s Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today citizen participation program, the Community Development Block Grant program and the American Institute of Architects’ Sustainable Design Assessment Team program.

What kind of projects are you currently working on? My big projects lately are the Creekwalk project, the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge program and the new Land Use & Development Plan. All three of these projects represent the uniqueness of our city. The Creekwalk will showcase beautiful and rarely seen parts of the city. The IBM program presents an opportunity to look at neighborhood challenges with a level of analysis that has never been used before anywhere in the world. The Land Use & Development Plan will lay out a vision for how the city of Syracuse should develop over the next few decades.

Can you explain the importance of the Creekwalk project? The Creekwalk is a major improvement to our public infrastructure. While the city of Syracuse has incredible neighborhoods, we have challenges with connections between them. The Creekwalk will help us become better connected. This project also reflects a change in mindset about Onondaga Creek and Onondaga Lake. After decades of us turning our back on the creek and lake as a community, I think we are now beginning to look at Syracuse as a waterfront community.

What other projects do you plan on getting involved with? I plan to continue to work on projects that have the potential to be transformative for the city, both from a physical planning perspective and from a policy perspective.

What is the best part about putting projects together for the city? The fact that we have dynamic people in this community — in city government, county government, in the not-for-profit community, etc. — who are willing to come together, explore new things and work in a collaborative and committed way to make real change.

How do you come up with ideas for the city of Syracuse? I talk to my staff, I talk to people in different city departments, I listen to people working hard to improve our community, and I look at things happening in cities around the country and around the world.

Do you have a key philosophy in life? A core driving principle for me is commitment to service. I think life is too short for me to be most concerned with how to make myself happy. Living life with purpose in an effort to make the world a better place is what drives me.

What is it about the city of Syracuse that you enjoy the most? The people. I think Syracuse simultaneously has the feel of a small town and a big city, and the people here reflect both. We have the diversity and culture typically found in larger cities, and the warmth, friendliness and familiarity more typical of a small town. The people of Syracuse are at the same time tough, kind, skeptical and caring, and I am proud to count myself among them.